Looking for something to make tonight that everyone will love? This "dump-it" vegetarian Stuffed Pepper Casserole is made with a Mexican twist with taco seasoning, black beans and corn, and topped with cilantro (or parsley), sour cream and avocado.
There's only about 15 minutes of prep before covering this stovetop casserole for a 30 minute simmer. The rice cooks in the casserole, making this a one-pot meal.
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Jump to:
- 🫑 Stuffed Peppers
- 🥘 What is a stuffed pepper casserole?
- ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- 🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
- 🔪 Recommended Equipment
- 📝 Instructions Overview
- ⏰ Tips to Simplify and Save Time
- 💡Ideas for Possible Variations
- 🥬 Make it Vegan
- 🍽 Side Dish Ideas
- 🤷♀️ Stuffed Pepper Casserole FAQ
- 🇲🇽 Love Mexican Food?
- Mexican Stuffed Pepper Casserole (Vegetarian)
🫑 Stuffed Peppers
Do you love stuffed peppers but don't have time to pre-cook the rice, cook the stuffing, stuff the peppers and then bake them? Don't get me wrong. I love the traditional stuffed peppers. In fact I make these stuffed peppers topped with cornbread regularly. It's a great vegetarian Mardi Gras dish, but I like these peppers any time of year.
But sometimes often, I need something easier.
And because I love Mexican casseroles like this Healthy Mexican Casserole with Quinoa, I made this with a Mexican twist.
🥘 What is a stuffed pepper casserole?
It's essentially stuffed peppers deconstructed. It has all the same ingredients, but it's a dump and bake casserole where everything goes into a baking pan, and cooked together (including the rice). Another example of a "dump and bake" casserole is this one-pan meatball casserole, where the pasta cooks in the casserole.
Vegetarian ones often use lentils, and I've tried this twice. For me, this is already a pretty moist casserole, and the lentils made it a little too mushy. Since this one has a Mexican twist to it, you can use either black beans or pinto beans.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- It's easy. There are a lot of ingredients, for sure, but mostly you just need a can opener. This is an EASY stuffed pepper casserole.
- The rice cooks in the casserole, so there's no need for an extra step, or using an extra pot.
- Mexican food tends to please everyone of all ages at the table.
- Perfect for a crowd, like game day parties.
- Easy to add ground sirloin or turkey for the meat eaters at the table. For a party, do one casserole for meat eaters and another for vegetarians.
- No fancy ingredients.
- Great way to get kids to eat more veggies! I snuck some baby spinach into the casserole!
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
Ingredient amounts and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- White rice - brown rice is fine too, and I prefer basmati rice.
- Yellow onion - white onion is fine too.
- Bell peppers - I use a mix of orange and red.
- Taco seasoning - you can purchase it already made, or make your own.
- Vegetable broth - I typically use Better Than Bouillon - Roasted Vegetable Paste.
- Fire roasted diced tomatoes
- Tomato sauce
- Corn - fresh or frozen sweet corn.
- Black beans - canned or cook your own black beans from dried.
- Baby spinach - I purchase this in containers, prewashed, in the produce department.
- Mexican cheese blend
- Cilantro or parsley (garnish)
- Sour cream (garnish)
- Avocado (garnish)
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
🔪 Recommended Equipment
- Dutch oven - or other heavy bottomed pot, or large deep skillet that's also oven-proof.
- Chef's knife
📝 Instructions Overview
Detailed instructions for making this Mexican Stuffed Pepper Casserole are in the recipe card below, but here's an overview!
Step 1
Rinse and soak the rice. Rinse the rice a couple times, gently rubbing it between your hands, and soak in fresh cold water until you need to add it to the casserole. This shortens the cook time a bit.
Step 2
Sauté. Sauté the onions and peppers. Add the taco seasoning and salt, and continue to cook.
Step 3
Add everything else. Add the broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, black beans and rice. Stir in the spinach and half of the cheese.
Step 4
Simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes. Top with the remaining cheese, and slide under the broiler to melt and brown the cheese.
Step 5
Serve. Serve with cilantro or parsley, sour cream and diced avocado.
⏰ Tips to Simplify and Save Time
- Purchase onions and peppers already cut up. If your market carries it, these containers will be in the produce department.
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
- Swap out rice for quinoa. I haven't done this, but you'll need to adjust the liquid down to 1 cup and the cook time to 15 minutes. Check out these instructions for cooking quinoa for information on cooking quinoa.
- For a more traditional take on a stuffed pepper, sauté ½ pound of Impossible Beef or Beyond Beef with the onion before adding the peppers. You may need to add more liquid for the rice to cook in.
- Use brown rice instead of white rice. You'll need 2 cups of liquid if you choose this path.
🥬 Make it Vegan
Use plant-based cheeses.
🍽 Side Dish Ideas
Cornbread is a perfect side for this casserole.
Or make a different kind of cornbread called sweet corn tomalito. Sweet Corn Tomalito is a moist, steamed cornbread that has both puréed sweet corn and whole kernels mixed into the batter. It's guaranteed to be a family favorite.
🤷♀️ Stuffed Pepper Casserole FAQ
Can I make this dish ahead?
Yes. Be sure to completely cool the finished casserole before you cover and slide it into the refrigerator. When ready to serve, reheat in a 350˚F oven.
Don't have time to run to the grocery store? Order the ingredients for this recipe using Instacart (affiliate link). Just click on the Instacart button in the recipe card below, and the ingredients will all be organized for you on their site. Plug in your zip code, choose the store you prefer, and select the ingredients you want delivered to your home.
🇲🇽 Love Mexican Food?
So do I. Here are more of my favorites.
A vegetarian tamale pie made with a cornbread base, drizzled with enchilada sauce, and then layered with plant-based meat and cheese.
Another favorite are these vegetarian enchiladas. The post gives lots of ideas for other vegetarian enchiladas fillings too!
This recipe is a Mexican twist on a family favorite skillet corn pudding, but adding a poblano pepper.
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Mexican Stuffed Pepper Casserole (Vegetarian)
Equipment
- fine mesh strainer
- Chef's knife
- Wooden spoon
- box grater
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked white rice
- 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion (1 medium onion)
- 4 cups chopped bell peppers (3 medium-sized peppers)
- 2 tablespoons Taco Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and the juices
- 1 cup corn (either fresh or frozen)
- 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 2 cups Mexican blend of cheeses
- chopped cilantro optional topping
- sour cream optional topping
- chopped avocado optional topping
Instructions
- Rinse the rice by putting it in a bowl with water, and gently rubbing it between your hands. Strain and rinse the rice. Return the rice to the bowl and cover with fresh cold water by 1 - 2 inches. Set aside to soak.
- Warm the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan that's also oven-proof. Either a Dutch oven or deep skillet work great. Add the onion and sauté for a few minutes to slightly soften. Add the peppers, and continue to sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the Taco season and salt. Sauté for another few minutes until very fragrant.
- Add the broth, diced tomatoes, corn, black beans, and tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer, and stir in the baby spinach and half of the cheese.
- Cover the pan, and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes, until the rice is al dente.
- Spread the remaining cheese over the casserole, and slide the pan under the broiler to melt and slightly brown the cheese to your own preference.
- Serve warm, topped with a scoop of sour cream, a little cilantro or parsley, and chopped avocado.
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